In perfect racing conditions in Alanya, Turkey, the final 2008 Premium European Cup took place yesterday. Over one hundred of Europes best and developing athletes took the start line to try and finish the 2008 season on a high. At the finish it was Russias Dmitry Polyansky and Frances Emmie Carayron who would take the wins.

In the mens race, swim-specialist Ivan Vasiliev of Russia was the first to exit the water with a large string of athletes in pursuit into transition one. One large bike pack quickly formed at the front with all the race favourites in the mix. Polyansky, Danill Sapunov, Peter Croes and European points leader Yulian Malyshev of Russia. Nothing much would change over the 40-kilometre of cycling and this large group would enter second transition together fresh for the run.

Immediately onto the 10-kilometre run course Polyansky took the lead and never relinquished, winning the first European cup of his young career. In second was fellow Russian Vasiliev and in third Kazakhstans Sapunov. The Russian men dominated the race finishing six in the top ten.

With his top ten finish, Malyshev won the overall European points title.

In the womens race, out of the water first was Portugals Maria Aerosa followed by a small group of nine others. Another 30 seconds back exited a larger group with many race favourites including Carayron, Ukraines Yuliya Sapunova and Maria Czesnik of Poland. It would take more then half of the bike race for this chase group to eventually close the gap on the leaders, bringing almost everyone in to transition two together.

Out on the run, Carayron showed the form that brought her to a Junior European cup title on this very course last year, running clear of everyone to post a race best 38:02 split. Not far behind her running in second the entire way was last years Alanya European Cup winner Sapunova. The race was on for third with a small group of three running shoulder to shoulder the entire way until the final lap where 2008 Olympian Czesnik pulled away to win the bronze.
In the womens European points race, it was Czech Republics Radka Vodickova who took the overall title.